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- 320 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
phrase about his illness was still more out of place, "in short,
kindly examine me or let me go, at once. And if you must
examine me, do so in the proper form! I will not allow you to do
so otherwise, and so meanwhile, good-bye, as we have evidently
nothing to keep us now."
"Good heavens! What do you mean? What shall I question
you about?" cackled Porfiry Petrovitch with a change of tone,
instantly leaving off laughing. "Please don't disturb yourself,"
he began fidgeting from place to place and fussily making Ras-
kolnikov sit down. "There's no hurry, there's no hurry, it's all
nonsense. Oh, no, I'm very glad you've come to see me at last
... I look upon you simply as a visitor. And as for my con-
founded laughter, please excuse it, Rodion Romanovitch.
Rodion Romanovitch? That is your name? . . . It's my nerves,
you tickled me so with your witty observation; I assure you,
sometimes I shake with laughter like an india-rubber ball for
half an hour at a time. . . . I'm often afraid of an attack of paral-
ysis. Do sit down. Please do, or I shall think you are angry ..."
Raskolnikov did not speak; he listened, watching him, still
frowning angrily. He did sit'Hown, but still held his cap.
"I must tell you one thing about myself, my dear Rodion
Romanovitch," Porfiry Petrovitch continued, moving about the
room and again avoiding his visitor's eyes. "You see, I'm a
bachelor, a man of no consequence and not used to society; be-
sides, Ihave nothing before me, I'm set, I'm running to seed and
. . . and have you noticed, Rodion Romanovitch, that in our
Petersburg circles, if two clever men meet who are not intimate,
but respect each other, like you and me, it takes them half an
hour before they can find a subject for conversation — they are
dumb, they sit opposite each other and feel awkward. Every
one has subjects of conversation, ladies for instance . . . people
in high society always have their subjects of conversation, c'est
de rigueur, but people of the middle sort like us, thinking
people that is, are always tongue-tied and awkward. What is the
reason of it? Whether it is the lack of public interest, or whether
it is we are so honest we don't want to deceive one another,
I don't know. What do you think? Do. put down your cap, it
looks as if you were just going, it makes me uncomfortable . . .
I am so delighted . . ."
Raskolnikov put down his cap and continued listening in
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